Kit groaned. Carmela was playing her Japanese music about ten times too loud for reasonable sleep, even with Kit's practice at shutting out loud noises. Although she had largely given up on the Japanese lessons, she still liked the music. Finally, Kit gave in to the inevitable and got up. "Mela...do you have to play that so loud this early in the morning? Don't you have something to do--like sleep?" "WHAT?" Kit repeated himself, much louder. "THIS HELPS ME RELAX!" Carmela shouted. "WELL, IT DOESN'T HELP ME RELAX! TURN IT DOWN!" Kit bawled back. "FINE!" Carmela replied. Although Kit watched her make an exaggerated show of turning her music down, he could barely tell the difference. Deciding to skip breakfast--or rather, lunch; it was nearly noon--Kit headed outside, calling over his shoulder "I'm going to Nita's!" "Esta bien, but be back in time for dinner!"
He found her sitting in Liused's branches, idly fingering a leaf and chatting with the rowan. Liused rustled at his arrival, and Nita looked up, startled. "Hi, Kit!"
"Hey, Neets...just thought I'd drop by. Carmela's playing her music again."
"Let me guess--she's got the volume turned up all the way."
"I got her to turn it down a notch, but..."
Nita laughed.
Kit suddenly thought that this was a rather nice picture--Nita, perching among Liused's newly green leaves, caramel-colored hair rippling and catching in the breeze, turning her face up to the sun and laughing, aloft against the blue sky.
"What are you doing?"
Kit mentally shook his head to clear it. Nita was looking at him with an odd expression.
"What do you mean, what am I doing?"
"I dunno, you had this weird grin on and you were all spaced out."
"I did not! I was not!"
Nita merely gave a maddeningly superior smile and started to swing down, but slipped on the lowest branch and fell ungracefully to the ground. Kit stretched back on the grass and chuckled, and Nita gave him a black look. As he propped himself up on his elbows, a thought flashed through Kit's mind--she's cute when she's mad. But Nita had a triumphant look on her face. "See? You're doing it again!" Now it was her turn to laugh at his look of annoyance, embarrassment, and exasperation. Still grinning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "C'mon, I haven't had lunch yet--let's go get something to eat."
He found her sitting in Liused's branches, idly fingering a leaf and chatting with the rowan. Liused rustled at his arrival, and Nita looked up, startled. "Hi, Kit!"
"Hey, Neets...just thought I'd drop by. Carmela's playing her music again."
"Let me guess--she's got the volume turned up all the way."
"I got her to turn it down a notch, but..."
Nita laughed.
Kit suddenly thought that this was a rather nice picture--Nita, perching among Liused's newly green leaves, caramel-colored hair rippling and catching in the breeze, turning her face up to the sun and laughing, aloft against the blue sky.
"What are you doing?"
Kit mentally shook his head to clear it. Nita was looking at him with an odd expression.
"What do you mean, what am I doing?"
"I dunno, you had this weird grin on and you were all spaced out."
"I did not! I was not!"
Nita merely gave a maddeningly superior smile and started to swing down, but slipped on the lowest branch and fell ungracefully to the ground. Kit stretched back on the grass and chuckled, and Nita gave him a black look. As he propped himself up on his elbows, a thought flashed through Kit's mind--she's cute when she's mad. But Nita had a triumphant look on her face. "See? You're doing it again!" Now it was her turn to laugh at his look of annoyance, embarrassment, and exasperation. Still grinning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "C'mon, I haven't had lunch yet--let's go get something to eat."